Still, Jefferson Davis' stern-looking statue loomed over a commemoration at the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday while presenters reminisced to school children and others about historic achievements made by black people.
While recounting some of those accomplishments, Rep. Paul Bather, a Louisville Democrat, pointed to the Davis statue and said it had to go.
"Jefferson Davis fought for what he believed in. But what he believed in was wrong," Bather told the crowd. "He believed in putting people down and slavery."
Bather, who is black, is sponsoring legislation in the state House that would have the statue removed from the state Capitol and instead showcased at the Kentucky History Center. Indeed, Bather maintains, Davis has a place in history but not one of such high visibility and honor.
Likenesses of former president Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, Dr. Ephraim McDowell and Alben Barkley are all standing in the rotunda with Davis. Lincoln, who has the largest statue, is in the middle with Davis standing in the corner behind is right shoulder.
Kentucky officially stayed neutral throughout the war and remained in the Union. However, a significant portion of the population sympathized with the Confederacy and residents fought for both sides.
Davis' statue has stood in the Rotunda since it was unveiled in 1936.
But Bather compared Davis' historical contributions to those of Saddam Hussein, saying they both oppressed people.
Davis "symbolized slavery, symbolized oppression and racism and all the bad things in society," Bather said. "Now that's no different than Saddam Hussein in my eyes. When you oppress people - whether it's in Iraq or whether it's in the United States - it has the same effect."
State Sen. Gerald Neal, also a Louisville Democrat, said he agreed with Bather's point on the statue. However, the ceremony was not intended to advance any one cause, but to remember black history as a part of U.S. history.
"The rotunda of the Capitol represents the heart of the state of Kentucky," Neal said. "And regardless who is at the heart of Kentucky, African-Americans have been there from the beginning and they will not be pushed aside."
State Rep. Sheldon Baugh, R-Russellville, said he opposes moving Davis' statue.
Baugh, who represents the area of Kentucky where Davis was from, said the former Confederate leader deserves his place in history. Moving the statue to a museum would not be much different from its continued display in the Capitol Rotunda, Baugh said.
"While none of us are proud of the slavery aspect of the Civil War, I think it would be wrong to remove it from the Capitol," Baugh said.
The future of Bather's proposal remains uncertain.
Gov. Ernie Fletcher does not want the statue removed, spokesman Jason Keller said. Rather, Fletcher believes the state should install a plaque explaining Davis' place in history, Keller said.